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Thera 1.20: Ajita
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(20):Ajita Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =20. Ajita= He was reborn, when our Lord(Buddha) was living, at Sāvatthī, as the son of the brahmin(priest) who was price-assessor1 to the king of Kosala. He became an ascetic as follower of Bavarī, the learned brahmin(priest), who lived in the Kapiṭṭha park on the banks of the Godhāvarī. Now Bavari2 sent him, together with Tissa and Metteyya, to the Lord(Buddha). And Ajita was so satisfied with the Lord(Buddha)'s answers to his questions, that he entered the Monk’s order. Choosing a form of mental exercise he developed insight, and attained arahantship(enlightened). Upon that he uttered his song of victory3 in this verse: ---- 20 Maraṇe me bhayaɱ natthi nikanti natthi jīvite|| Sandehaɱ nikkhipissāmi sampajāno patissato' ti.|| || ---- 20 All unafraid of death, nor glad to live, I shall lay down this worldly frame soon,4 With mind alert, with consciousness controlled. ---- 1 In the Jāitaka it appears that the purchase of goods by or for a king was effected by an officially regulated price. This was fixed without appeal by the court assessor or valuer, who stood between the two fires of offending the king if he valued the goods submitted too high, and of driving away tradesmen if he refused bribes and cheapened wares. See my 'Early Economic Conditions in Northern India,' JRAS, October, 1901. 2 This episode forms part of the Sutta-Nipāta, verses 976-1089 (SBE, x. 184 ff.). 3 His 'lion's roar' (sīhanāda). 4 Cf. Saɱyutta, iii. 25. ---- 1.2-1020 Commentary on the stanza of =Ajuta Thera= The stanza starting with Maraṇe me bhayaṃ n’atthi constitues that of the venerable Thera Ajuta. What is the origin? It is said that ninetyone aeons (kappa) ago, he saw the Blessed One Vipassī, became pious-minded and offered Him wood-apple fruits (kapittha). After that, subsequently also he did this and that act of merit, wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and was reborn as the son of a brahmin, who occupied the main seat in the service of king Mahākosala, in Sāvatthi, even before our Master had arisen in this aeon (kappa). His name was Ajika. At that time also, a citizen of Sāvatthi, a brahmin named Bāvarī, who was endowed with three characteristics of a great personage, a doctor (pāragū) in three vedas, went out of Sāvatthi, renounced the world, became a hermit and dwelt at the wood-apple monastery (kapitthārāma) on the shore of the river Godhāvarī. Then, Ajita remounced the world in his presence and being instigated (codita) by a well-wishing (atthakāmā) divinity, he was sent to the presence of the Master by Bāvarī, approched the Blessed One along with Tissametteyya etc., mentally only, he asked questions and when those questions were answered, he became pious-minded, became a monk in the pressence of the Master, collected mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna), developed clear insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantshiip. Therefore, it has been stated in the Apadāna:– “I offered wood-apple fruit to the self-awakened Buddha, the acceptor of sacred offerings, of golden com- plexion, entering upon a chariot road. It was ninetyone aeons (kappa) ago that I then offered the fruit; I do not remember any evil existence (duggati). This is the fruitful result of fruit offering.(1) My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having attained Arahantship, however, he uttered a stanza, starting with “Maraṇe me bhayaṃ n’atthi, roaring the lion’s roar. (1) There is a play of word in phala. The pun is seen in its two separate meanings: (1) the fruitful result and (2) the fruit of a tree. 20. There, maraṇe is to be construed as:– the sign (nimitta) of death, the cause (hetu) of death. Me means to me (mayhaṃ), there is no danger because of the fact that the root of existence had been cut off and because of the state of birth having all-round been exhausted. Indeed, to those whose root of existence had not been cut off there would be danger from death saying to themselves thus:– “What-like, indeed, is my future springing up (uppatti). Nikanti means regard (apekkhā) craving (taṇhā); that (craving desire, taṇhā) is not in (my) life, because of (my) aggregate of actions (Saṇkhāra) having been well-crushed (maddita) all round; from the fact of good looking after of the aggregates (khandha) of attachment (upādāna) by such state of theirs as painful (dukkha) unsubstantial (asāraka), etc. Having become thus also, I shall nikkhipissāmi (throw down) cast away (my) load of pain (dukkhabhāra) reckoned as body sandehaṃ (my own body), the corporeal remains; in throwing down also, I shall throw it down being sampajāno (attentive) for the attainment of wealth of wisdom (paññāvapulla) thus:– “Whatever should be accomplished by this body has been accomplished; now that body should but be discarded definitely,” and paṭissato, being mindful for the attainment of multitude of mindfulness (sative-pulla). Having however recited this stanza, the Thera entered upon jhāna and passed away into parinibbāna immediately there-after. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Ajita is complete. ******* oOo ******* The Commentary on the Second Chapter is complete. ********** oOo ********** ----